Spotlight on leaders of independent wine companies

June 24, 2013, 6:45AM

06/24/2013

Following are profiles of the top day-to-day leaders from the Business Journal’s lists of the largest independently owned wineries under 100,000 cases, published in March, and the largest wine companies, published in May.

Harry “Hank” Wetzel, proprietor and winemaker, and his wife, Maggie, purchased the property in 1962 from the family of Cyrus Alexander, after whom the valley is named. Their oldest son, Hank IV, launched the winery in 1975. Last year the winery shipped 162,000 cases. The operation farms 200 acres of vines.Mike BenzigerBenziger Family Winery1883 London Ranch Rd., Glen Ellen 95442, 888-490-2739, benziger.com

General manager, winegrower and Tribute winemaker Mike Benziger and his wife, Mary, co-founded the winery in 1980, and since that time the family business has been a leader in environmentally friendly winegrowing and advocate for Biodynamic farming.

Jean-Charles Boisset is president of Boisset Family Wines, the U.S. arm of a wine and spirits operation that among the largest wine producers in France and the U.S. Last year, the 33-year-old company made 6.5 million cases of wine globally and 750,000 in the U.S.

The U.S. portfolio added Central Coast brand Lockwood Vineyard in November to previous acquisitions Buena Vista in Sonoma Valley, Raymond in Rutherford and DeLoach in Russian River Valley. In the past few years, the company has been upgrading facilities for Buena Vista and Raymond, including bringing wine production back to Buena Vista and developing a Biodynamic-wine program at Raymond.Mike JaegerCK Mondavi Family Vineyards2800 Main St., St. Helena 94574, 707-967-2200, ckmondavi.com

Mike Jaeger was brought in as chief operating officer in May 2011 by proprietors Peter Mondavi and his sons. The Krug brand started in 1861 and was acquired by Cesare and Rosa Mondavi in 1943. At 1.5 million cases of mass-market CK Mondavi and higher-end Charles Krug produced last year, the company is among the North Coast’s largest producers.

Mr. Jaeger also is a senior adviser for Bacchus Capital Management. His alcoholic beverage industry experience started in 1987 with a dozen years in marketing for Joseph E. Seagram & Sons then Trinchero Family Estates, followed by a dozen years in top management at Constellation Brands, Vincor International, Partida Tequila and Wilson Daniels.Roy CecchettiCecchetti Wine Co.P.O. Box 637, Vineburg 95487, 707-996-7221, cecchettiwineco.com

Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Roy Cecchetti and his wife, Rachael, started the company in 2007 with brands Redtree and Lake County-focused Line 39. That has expanded to five brands with on-premise-focused Backhouse in 2011, Exitus last year for Beverages & More, and Austerity, red and white blends released this spring at retail prices $16--$17.

Total sales in 2012 increased to 340,000 cases, up 30 percent from 2011. The biggest growth came with a nearly doubling of sales for Backhouse to 62,000 cases. The company is projecting sales this year will grow by 15 percent to 20 percent from 2012, reaching around 400,000 cases.

Cecchetti Wine made the Inc. 5000 list of fast-growing companies for the second straight year, ranked No. 1241 based on three-year revenue growth of 248 percent to $11.8 million in 2011.

Mr. Cecchetti was part of the Cecchetti Sebastiani Cellars with brother-in-law Don Sebastiani until they parted ways in 2001.

Kristy Melton came to Clos Du Val as assistant winemaker in 2010 and became head winemaker last year. John Clews, who was winemaker and chief operating officer and came to the winery in April 1999, resigned in December, and Ms. Melton took on winery operations duties.

Wine Enthusiast in June named Ms. Melton among magazine's 40 Under 40 "tastemakers" for 2013.

American entreprenuer John Goelet and winemaker Bernard Portet started Clos Du Val with the acquisition of 150 acres in the Stags Leap District of Napa Valley in 1972. The winery also sources from 180 acres of Los Carneros vines. Production is around 70,000 cases a year.

Clos Du Val was part of the famed 1976 Paris tasting. The winery was the first of five wine businesses in the U.S., Australia and France added to the Goelet Wine Estates portfolio.Bruce CohnB.R. Cohn Winery15000 Sonoma Hwy., Glen Ellen 95442, 707-938-4064, brcohn.com

Coming from a Russian River Valley goat dairy family, The Doobie Brothers band manager Bruce Cohn started Olive Hill Estate Vineyard in Sonoma Valley 1974 and the winery in 1984. Wine production was about 60,000 cases last year.

In 1990, he started an olive oil business and launched a line of gourmet packaged foods in recent years.Jay ShoemakerThe Coppola Companies820 Airpark Rd., Napa 94558, 707-968-1120, franciscoppolawinery.com, inglenook.com

The latest addition to Mr. Coppola's wine portfolio came in March with the purchase of the Geyser Peak Winery facility and 32 acres of surrounding vines, located just four miles north of Francis Ford Coppola Winery in Sonoma County's Alexander Valley appellation.

Mr. Coppola acquired the Inglenook vineyards in Rutherford in 1975, the chateau two decades later and the Inglenook name from The Wine Group in April 2011. The Rubicon Estate winery in Rutherford was renamed Inglenook.Jay SchuppertCuvaison Estate Wines4550 Silverado Trail N., Calistoga 94515, 707-942-6266, cuvaison.com

Jay Schuppert has been president since 2001. Previously, he was director of marketing and sales. The Schmidheiny family acquired Cuvaison in 1979. In the past few years, the winery has opened tasting rooms in Calistoga and Carneros. Production is estimated at about 60,000 cases a year.Don “Donny” Sebastiani Jr.Don Sebastiani & Sons135 W. Napa St., Sonoma 95476, 707-933-1704, donandsons.com

Donny Sebastiani, a 1999 business economics graduate, moved up to president and chief executive officer of Don Sebastiani & Sons in 2009 from executive director. His father, Don Sebastiani, and his sons Donny and August started “Don & Sons” in 2001 as a negociant producer of mass-market stalwarts Smoking Loon and Pepperwood Grove plus edgy brands. The company sold 1.3 million cases in 2011.

The Other Guys, a wine and spirits sales organization, was spun off in 2005 with August Sebastiani at the helm. It shipped 250,000 cases last year, up by more than a quarter from 238,600 cases in 2011 and 76 percent higher than 2010 sales. The mostly $10- to $20-a-bottle wine brands include Leese-Fitch, MooBuzz, Pennywise and The White Knight. The company ventured into spirits in 2011 and now has rum and gin in the $30 range and $70 rye whiskey called Masterson’s.

Kim Wallace became president of the 100,000-case-a-year winery in 2012. Her husband, Don, had been president since 2006 on the retirement of her father, David Stare, founder of the first new winery in Dry Creek Valley since Prohibition. The ranch includes 200 estate acres of vines.

Mrs. Wallace started her career in the fashion industry and returned to the family winery in 1986 as director of marketing. She is credited with influencing the nautical theme to winery branding. Rhonda and Don CaranoFerrari-Carano Winery8761 Dry Creek Rd., Healdsburg 95448, 707-433-6700, ferrari-carano.com

Corporate and gaming attorney Don Carano, and Vice President Rhonda Carano, his wife, started Ferrari-Carano in Dry Creek Valley in 1981 and released the first vintage in 1985. The family owns 1,400 acres of vines in 19 vineyards in Sonoma and Napa counties. Production is estimated to be around 200,000 cases for the Ferrari-Carano, PreVail, Tresor and Siena brands.

The Caranos also own Vintners Inn and John Ash & Co. restaurant in Russian River Valley. Mr. Carano built Eldorado Hotel and Casino in Reno in 1973 and jointly created Silver Legacy hotel and casino there in 1992.Bill Foley IIFoley Family Wines10300 Chalk Hill Rd., Healdsburg 95448, 707-657-4837, foleyfamilywines.com

Bill Foley II, chairman of Florida-based Fidelity National Financial and Fidelity National Information Services, formed what is now Foley Family Wines in 1996 with the acquisition of Lincourt Vineyards on the Central Coast.

He has been expanding his wine industry holdings on the West Coast and New Zealand rapidly since 2007. Acquisition highlights last year were Langtry Estate & Vineyards, a 150,000-case-a-year brand with 400 acres of grapes in Lake County's Guenoc Valley appellation, 206-acrre Ramal East Vineyard in Los Carneros appellation, Lancaster Estate and Roth Estate brands along with the Chalk Hill Road winery and the 6,000-case-a-year Sawyer Cellars winery near Rutherford. Early this year, Mr. Foley started a membership wine, food and travel venture called The Foley Food and Wine Society.

Previous investments include acquisition of Sebastiani Vineyards, a majority stake in Kuleto in Napa Valley, purchase of a New Zealand wine company, purchasing Chalk Hill in Sonoma County and EOS Estate. Global production totaled 1.25 million cases last year, including 800,000 in the U.S.Louis M. FoppianoFoppiano Wine Co.12707 Old Redwood Hwy., Healdsburg 95448, 707-433-7272, foppiano.com

Louis M. Foppiano is chairman of the pioneering pinot noir and petite sirah Russian River Valley winery. He is great-grandson of Giovanni Foppiano, who started in 1896. The winery is supplied by 115 acres of vines and produces roughly 30,000 cases a year.Jonathan FreyFrey Vineyards14000 Tomki Rd., Redwood Valley 95470, 707-485-5177, freywine.com

Jonathan Frey, general manager, was the founding winemaker of the 33-year-old organic and Biodynamic wine specialist in Mendocino County’s Redwood Valley. The winery produces more than 90,000 cases of wine from 185 acres of vines.

Jonathan, Matthew and Paul Frey, the eldest of 12 children, opened the winery in 1980. Jonathan Frey trained younger brother Paul in winemaking, so he could assume the role of general manager.

Mr. Frey also is co-founder of Willits-based Renewable Energy Development Institute.

Matt Gallo, vice president of coastal operations, is part of the third generation of the Gallo winemaking family along with winemaker sister Gina Gallo.

Global production for Modesto-based E&J Gallo, the world’s largest wine company, is estimated to be around 82 million cases. Gallo purchased Washington state brands Columbia Winery and Covey Run from Ascentia Wine Estates.

In addition to her winemaking position, Gina Gallo started Dry Creek General Store and is raising daughters with Jean-Charles Boisset, who she married in 2009.Tom BurnetGloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards23555 Hwy. 121, Sonoma 95476, 707-996-7256, gloriaferrer.com

In November 2009, the Ferrer family appointed Tom Burnet president of Freixenet America, which oversees Freixenet USA, Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards and Victoire Imports. The Ferrer family started the winery in 1982 and built the facility in 1986. Gloria Ferrer produces about 125,000 cases of sparkling and still wines annually from 385 acres of vines.Dennis GrothGroth Vineyards & Winery750 Oakville Cross Rd., Oakville 94562, 707-944-0290, grothwines.com

Accountant and former high-tech executive Dennis and Judy Groth started Groth Vineyards in 1982. Mr. Groth, president, has been involved in sustainable business standards for the industry. The operation has 165 acres of vines in near Oakville and Yountville in Napa Valley and last year shipped 73,000 cases of wine.Timothy PerssonThe Hess Collection4411 Redwood Rd., Napa 94558, 707-255-1144, hesscollection.com

Switzerland-based Hess Group named named Timothy Persson as chief executive officer in July of last year. Gary Bulger, who had been president since 2009, left before that time after 15 years with the winery.

Mr. Persson, a member of the Hess family, is chairman of The Hess Collection board, and a managing director of Hess Family Estates, a global portfolio of brands The Hess Collection, Artezin, MacPhail Family Wines, Sequana, Peter Lehmann, Colome, Amalaya and Glen Carlou.

The winery has more than 750 acres of vines in Napa Valley and Monterey County and sold 700,000 cases in 2012. The winery operates out of the former Christian Brothers Mont La Salle winery and a newer winery and barrel-aging facility in American Canyon. Hess acquired the MacPhail Family Wines brand in 2011.Agustin F. HuneeusHuneeus Vintners, LLC1040 Main St., Napa 94559, 707-967-1601, huneeuswines.com

The father operated Franciscan Estates from the mid-1980s until Constellation Brands acquired the fine wine portfolio, which included Quintessa in Napa Valley and Veramonte in Chile, in 1999. The son was promoted to president of the group in 2000 and stayed until 2003, when he left to start Huneeus Vintners.

After a career in journalism, Joy Sterling joined her parents, winery founders Barry and Audrey Sterling, in marketing the sparkling-wine brand in 1985. That year she landed Iron Horse its first signature placement at a White House state dinner, and exclusive placements for celebrity events followed. She became chief executive officer in 2006.

Chief Executive Officer Judy Jordan launched J in 1987 with help of her father, oilman and vintner Thomas Jordan Jr. She appointed Kathryn Lindstrom general manager and chief financial officer in mid-2006 and promoted her to chief operating officer at the beginning of this year. Previously, Ms. Lindstrom held senior finance and administrative posts at Peter Michel, Arrowood, Robert Mondavi Corp. and Opus One. The winery annually produces more than 80,000 cases of sparkling and still wine.Rick TignerJackson Family Wines425 Aviation Blvd., Santa Rosa 95403, 707-544-4000, kj.com

Rick Tigner has been president of the 5.5 million-case-a-year global wine company since May 2010, and his role has expanded to assist Chairman-proprietor Barbara Banke since founder Jess Jackson died in April 2011. Mr. Tigner has been in the wine industry for more than a quarter century, including two decades in management of Jackson wine divisions and companies plus stints at Miller Brewing, Gallo and Louis M. Martini.

Jackson family wine-related holdings have been expanding rapidly Ms. Banke took the reins in 2011. The company acquired more than a dozen properties, largely vineyard acquisitions such as 350-acre Ramal Vineyard West in Los Carneros, 260-acre Saralee's Vineyard in Russian River Valley and several hundred acres in Oregon. The company now has roughly 35,000 acres of vines supplying three dozen wineries producing 5.5 million cases worldwide.John JordanJordan Vineyard & Winery1474 Alexander Valley Rd., Healdsburg 95448, 707-431-5250, jordanwinery.com

Jordan Oil & Gas Co. owner Thomas Jordan Jr. started the winery in 1972, and the first vintage was in 1976. His son, John, who was born just before the winery was founded 40 years ago, has been the top executive of the chateau-like winery in Sonoma County’s Alexander Valley since fall 2005.

Today, the winery produces about 100,000 cases of wine last year and has 250 acres of vines.

When not running the winery, John Jordan is a partner in Santa Rosa-based law firm Smith Dollar, an instructor at Empire College of Law and founder in 2010 of Santa Rosa-based Labrador OmniMedia, which is developing mobile on-premise alcoholic beverage program management software Tastevin.Bill PhelpsJoseph Phelps Vineyards200 Taplin Rd., St. Helena 94574, 707-963-2745, jpvwines.com

Also celebrating a 40th anniversary this year is Joseph Phelps Vineyards. Bill Phelps, an investment banking attorney for 20 years, moved to Napa Valley in 1998 to help his father, Joseph Phelps, with the acquisition of land on the Sonoma Coast for Freestone Vineyards, which opened in fall 2007. The elder Phelps launched the winery in 1973, and the younger became president in 2008.

The Heck family in 1954 acquired Korbel Champagne Cellars, established in Russian River Valley in 1882. Gary Heck became president in 1982 and chairman in 1984. The Heck Estates portfolio includes still and sparkling wines and brandy, producing 2.2 million cases last year from 1,400 acres of controlled vines.

Brands include Korbel, Kenwood Vineyards, Korbel California Brandy, Valley of the Moon, Lake Sonoma, King’s Ransom and Pininfarina. The company last year said it was in talks to sell the Kenwood brand to New York-based importer Banfi Vintners, but the deal fizzled by mid-2012.Steve LedsonLedson Winery & Vineayards7335 Hwy. 12, Kenwood 95452, 707-537-3810, ledson.com

A real estate developer since the mid-1970s, Steve Ledson entered the wine business in the early 1990s, when a speculative Sonoma Valley vineyard estate project fell through. By the end of the decade, Ledson had established a winery, built the landmark 16,000-square-foot Normandy-style "castle" and converted it to a winery and tasting room.

The winery produces dozens of wines a year, ranging in price from ultrapremium to a couple of hundred dollars a bottle.

In early January, the Ledson family purchased Mountain Terraces Vineyard in the Mayacamas Mountains from the Schaefer family. The 125-acre property has 85 acres of vines.

Another Ledson wine project is W. Cunningham Winery, a proposed 50,000-case facility on Sonoma Highway at Frey Road. Ledson produced 27,000 cases of wine last year at a leased production facility south of Sonoma.Randy and Megan MasonMason Cellars714 First St., Napa 94559, 707-255-0658, masoncellars.com

The Masons, known for their sauvignon blanc, started the 50,000-plus-case-a-year brand in 1993, the same year Randy Mason started Napa Wine Co. in Oakville. He ran it for nine years.Kevin ShannonMountain View Vintners1660 Second St., Ste. B, San Rafael 94901, 414-898-6778, mountainviewwines.com

Kevin Shannon started Mountain View Vintners in 1978 as one of California’s first negociants, or wineries without their own vineyards. The company shipped 104,000 cases in 2012 and has created hundreds of labels for restaurants, hotels, retailers and wine clubs since its founding.John TracyOwl Ridge WinesP.O. Box 1514, Sebastopol 95473, owlridge.com

Retired optics physicist John Tracy acquired the Greg & Greg high-end custom winery in 2005 and Sonoma Grapemasters vine-to-bottle custom wine service in 2007. Of more than 50,000 cases produced in 2012, 20,000 were for Mr. Tracy’s labels Owl Ridge and Willowbrook Cellars. The company last year created a certified-organic blue agave juice "wine" Agave Garden.

Jim Pedroncelli first started with sales and marketing duties in 1957. In 1963 he and brother John Pedroncelli Jr. purchased the winery from their father, who started the Dry Creek Valley winery in 1927. The winery shipped 59,000 cases 2010 from 105 vineyard acres.Ron RubinRiver Road Vineyards & Winery5220 Ross Rd., Sebastopol 95472, 707-887-8130, riverroadvineyards.com

A big believer in the Sonoma County "brand," Tom Klein assumed leadership of the family agribusiness in 1984, and in 1989 Klein Foods acquired Rodney Strong Vineyards, started in 1959 by its namesake. In recent years, the company has upgraded winery energy-efficiency and high-end production, shifted to Sonoma County grapes and acquired the Davis Bynum brand in 2007. The company sold 889,000 cases in 2012 and owns 965 acres of vines.Christopher SilvaSt. Francis Winery & Vineyards500 Pythian Rd., Santa Rosa 95409, 800-543-7713, stfranciswine.com

Joe Martin and Lloyd Canton started St. Francis in 1979 and appointed Christopher Silva president and chief executive officer in 2003. He was chief operating officer for four years before. The winery produced 250,000 cases in 2012 and owns 600 acres of vines.Emma SwainSt. Supery Vineyards & Winery8440 St. Helena Hwy., Rutherford 94573, 707-963-4507, stsupery.com

Skalli Family Wines Americas, which started the winery in 1988, named Emma Swain chief executive officer in 2009. Previously, she oversaw Sebastiani Vineyards from 2001 until Foley Family Wines acquired it in 2009 and was credited with turning around the brand. St. Supery produced 136,000 cases in 2012 and owns 525 acres of vines.

Tom Davies has been president and managing partner of Dario Sattui’s wine interests since 1980. Mr. Sattui revived the 1885 brand V. Sattui Winery in the late 1970s. V. Sattui produces nearly four dozen wines, and nearby landmark Castello di Amorosa makes more than a dozen. Production was more than 50,000 cases in 2012 from 230 vineyard acres, and it’s sold mostly via the tasting room and Internet.Hugh DaviesSchramsberg Vineyards1400 Schramsberg Rd., Calistoga 94515, 707-942-6668, schramsberg.com

Hugh Davies, son of founders Jack and Jamie Davies, has been president and chief executive officer of sparkling wine house Schramsberg Vineyards since 2005. The winery annually produces more than 60,000 cases of sparkling wine and a few thousand cases of J. Schram and Schramsberg Reserve still wines.Axel SchugSchug Carneros Estate Winery602 Bonneau Rd., Sonoma 95476, 800-966-9365, schugwinery.com

Axel Schug joined the winery full time in 1990 became managing partner in 2007 upon the retirement of his father, Walter Schug, who started the winery in 1980. The winery produced 50,000 cases in 2012 and farms 42 vine acres.David DuncanSilver Oak CellarsP.O. Box 414, Oakville 94562, 707-944-8808, silveroak.com

President and Chief Executive Officer David Duncan oversees high-end cabernet sauvignon producer Silver Oak Cellars, started by his father, Ray, and Justin Meyer in 1972. The Duncans started Twomey Cellars in Calistoga in 1999 and acquired Monument Tree Vineyard in Sonoma County for Twomey.

Derek Benham started Purple Wine Co. in 2001, when his brother, Courtney, and he sold the Blackstone brand to Constellation Brands reportedly for $144 million. Derek Benham built Purple Wine up with largely with the Mark West pinot noir, plus the Avalon, BEX, Blue Jean and Rock Rabbit brands, joined by Four Vines in late 2011.

When Mark West reached 600,000 cases a year, or more than half of Purple Wine's production, Mr. Benham sold it to Constellation a year ago for $163 million.

One of Swanson brothers whose family food company developed the TV dinner in the early 1950s, Clarke Swanson purchased 100 acres near Oakville in Napa Valley in 1985 and was an early champion of merlot wine. Later, the brand moved into small-production, high-end white and red wines as well as the on-premise-focused Modern House Wine brand. The winery produces 20,000 to 30,000 cases a year from 77 acres of vines.Mike Tierney and Mike MartiniTaft Street Winery2030 Barlow Ln., Sebastopol 95472, 707-823-2049, taftstreetwinery.com

President Mike Tierney and General Manager-Chief Executive Officer Mike Martini, at one time mayor of Santa Rosa, started the winery with family members in 1982 in an Oakland garage in the 1970s. The winery makes more than 40,000 cases a year.Janet TrefethenTrefethen Vineyards1160 Oak Knoll Ave., Napa 94558, 707-255-7700, trefethen.com

John Trefethen’s parents purchased an abandoned winery in 1968. His wife, Janet, became chief executive officer in the 1970s shortly after the first wines were released. The winery has been a leader in sustainable winegrowing in the North Coast. Trefethen produces more than 5o,000 cases annually.Bob TorkelsonTrinchero Family EstatesP.O. Box 248, St. Helena 94574; 707-963-3104; tfewines.com

Since 2004, Bob Torkelson has been president and chief operating officer of Trinchero Family Estates. It is one of the largest U.S. wine companies, selling 18 million cases in 2012. That's up from 16.5 million cases in 2011. The company expanded its vineyard holdings to about 8,000 acres, including 60 acres of vines acquired last year in Russian River Valley.

The Trinchero family purchased Sutter Home Winery in 1948. The portfolio has expanded beyond that brand to roughly three dozen others either made for retailers and celebrities or imported. In the past two years, the company has added spirits brands.Pat RoneyVintage Wine Estates205 Concourse Blvd., Santa Rosa 95403, 707-921-2600, vintagewineestates.com

Vintage Wine Estates was formed in January 2009 by Pat Roney, Leslie Rudd, Michael Stewart and Chuck Sweeney. Since then, Mr. Roney, president and a veteran of top-executive wine and retail positions, has guided several North Coast acquisitions. The group sold 600,000 cases of wine globally in 2012.

The portfolio includes Girard, Grove Street, Sonoma Coast Vineyards, Fire Station Red, Windsor Sonoma, Windsor Vineyards, StoneFly Vineyards, Cosentino Winery and Cartilidge & Browne. Last year, In July, the company acquired the 350,000-case-a-year former McDowell winery near Hopland and plans to eventually transition the bulk of production there. In December, Vintage Wine Estates co-invested with brand hitmaker Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits to bring back Cosentino's Cigar Zin brand.

Businessman Tom Leonardini Sr. purchased Whitehall Lane Winery in March 1993 from the Finkelstein family of Judd’s Hill and Napa Valley MicroCrush. In 2011, Whitehall Lane announced plans to double production over the following four years from 50,000 cases annually. Toward that goal and self-sufficiency, the winery expanded its barrel cellar, added casegood storage for club shipments and installed a bottling line.Ken and Diana WilsonWilson Artisan Wineries8015 Hwy. 128, Healdsburg 95448, 707-433-3303, sodarockwinery.com/wilson-artisan-wineries

Ken and Diane Wilson have been building a group of North Coast wineries, called Wilson Artisan Wineries. Mrs. Wilson is an avid runner and makes wine for three of the brands. The portfolio now includes Wilson Winery, Mazzocco Sonoma, Matrix Winery, deLorimier Winery, Jaxon Keys Winery, Soda Rock Winery, Pezzi King Vineyards and St. Anne's Crossing.

St. Anne's came from the acquisition of the former St. Francis and Blackstone winery in Sonoma Valley in 2012 from Constellation Brands. Before the Blackstone deal, total case production exceeded 50,000 cases a year, and the family owned 500 acres of mountain vineyards in Sonoma and Mendocino counties.

Following are profiles of the top day-to-day leaders from the Business Journal’s lists of the largest independently owned wineries under 100,000 cases, published in March, and the largest wine companies, published in May.

Harry “Hank” Wetzel, proprietor and winemaker, and his wife, Maggie, purchased the property in 1962 from the family of Cyrus Alexander, after whom the valley is named. Their oldest son, Hank IV, launched the winery in 1975. Last year the winery shipped 162,000 cases. The operation farms 200 acres of vines.Mike BenzigerBenziger Family Winery1883 London Ranch Rd., Glen Ellen 95442, 888-490-2739, benziger.com

General manager, winegrower and Tribute winemaker Mike Benziger and his wife, Mary, co-founded the winery in 1980, and since that time the family business has been a leader in environmentally friendly winegrowing and advocate for Biodynamic farming.

Jean-Charles Boisset is president of Boisset Family Wines, the U.S. arm of a wine and spirits operation that among the largest wine producers in France and the U.S. Last year, the 33-year-old company made 6.5 million cases of wine globally and 750,000 in the U.S.

The U.S. portfolio added Central Coast brand Lockwood Vineyard in November to previous acquisitions Buena Vista in Sonoma Valley, Raymond in Rutherford and DeLoach in Russian River Valley. In the past few years, the company has been upgrading facilities for Buena Vista and Raymond, including bringing wine production back to Buena Vista and developing a Biodynamic-wine program at Raymond.Mike JaegerCK Mondavi Family Vineyards2800 Main St., St. Helena 94574, 707-967-2200, ckmondavi.com

Mike Jaeger was brought in as chief operating officer in May 2011 by proprietors Peter Mondavi and his sons. The Krug brand started in 1861 and was acquired by Cesare and Rosa Mondavi in 1943. At 1.5 million cases of mass-market CK Mondavi and higher-end Charles Krug produced last year, the company is among the North Coast’s largest producers.

Mr. Jaeger also is a senior adviser for Bacchus Capital Management. His alcoholic beverage industry experience started in 1987 with a dozen years in marketing for Joseph E. Seagram & Sons then Trinchero Family Estates, followed by a dozen years in top management at Constellation Brands, Vincor International, Partida Tequila and Wilson Daniels.Roy CecchettiCecchetti Wine Co.P.O. Box 637, Vineburg 95487, 707-996-7221, cecchettiwineco.com

Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Roy Cecchetti and his wife, Rachael, started the company in 2007 with brands Redtree and Lake County-focused Line 39. That has expanded to five brands with on-premise-focused Backhouse in 2011, Exitus last year for Beverages & More, and Austerity, red and white blends released this spring at retail prices $16--$17.

Total sales in 2012 increased to 340,000 cases, up 30 percent from 2011. The biggest growth came with a nearly doubling of sales for Backhouse to 62,000 cases. The company is projecting sales this year will grow by 15 percent to 20 percent from 2012, reaching around 400,000 cases.

Cecchetti Wine made the Inc. 5000 list of fast-growing companies for the second straight year, ranked No. 1241 based on three-year revenue growth of 248 percent to $11.8 million in 2011.

Mr. Cecchetti was part of the Cecchetti Sebastiani Cellars with brother-in-law Don Sebastiani until they parted ways in 2001.

Kristy Melton came to Clos Du Val as assistant winemaker in 2010 and became head winemaker last year. John Clews, who was winemaker and chief operating officer and came to the winery in April 1999, resigned in December, and Ms. Melton took on winery operations duties.

Wine Enthusiast in June named Ms. Melton among magazine's 40 Under 40 "tastemakers" for 2013.

American entreprenuer John Goelet and winemaker Bernard Portet started Clos Du Val with the acquisition of 150 acres in the Stags Leap District of Napa Valley in 1972. The winery also sources from 180 acres of Los Carneros vines. Production is around 70,000 cases a year.

Clos Du Val was part of the famed 1976 Paris tasting. The winery was the first of five wine businesses in the U.S., Australia and France added to the Goelet Wine Estates portfolio.Bruce CohnB.R. Cohn Winery15000 Sonoma Hwy., Glen Ellen 95442, 707-938-4064, brcohn.com

Coming from a Russian River Valley goat dairy family, The Doobie Brothers band manager Bruce Cohn started Olive Hill Estate Vineyard in Sonoma Valley 1974 and the winery in 1984. Wine production was about 60,000 cases last year.

In 1990, he started an olive oil business and launched a line of gourmet packaged foods in recent years.Jay ShoemakerThe Coppola Companies820 Airpark Rd., Napa 94558, 707-968-1120, franciscoppolawinery.com, inglenook.com

The latest addition to Mr. Coppola's wine portfolio came in March with the purchase of the Geyser Peak Winery facility and 32 acres of surrounding vines, located just four miles north of Francis Ford Coppola Winery in Sonoma County's Alexander Valley appellation.

Mr. Coppola acquired the Inglenook vineyards in Rutherford in 1975, the chateau two decades later and the Inglenook name from The Wine Group in April 2011. The Rubicon Estate winery in Rutherford was renamed Inglenook.Jay SchuppertCuvaison Estate Wines4550 Silverado Trail N., Calistoga 94515, 707-942-6266, cuvaison.com

Jay Schuppert has been president since 2001. Previously, he was director of marketing and sales. The Schmidheiny family acquired Cuvaison in 1979. In the past few years, the winery has opened tasting rooms in Calistoga and Carneros. Production is estimated at about 60,000 cases a year.Don “Donny” Sebastiani Jr.Don Sebastiani & Sons135 W. Napa St., Sonoma 95476, 707-933-1704, donandsons.com

Donny Sebastiani, a 1999 business economics graduate, moved up to president and chief executive officer of Don Sebastiani & Sons in 2009 from executive director. His father, Don Sebastiani, and his sons Donny and August started “Don & Sons” in 2001 as a negociant producer of mass-market stalwarts Smoking Loon and Pepperwood Grove plus edgy brands. The company sold 1.3 million cases in 2011.

The Other Guys, a wine and spirits sales organization, was spun off in 2005 with August Sebastiani at the helm. It shipped 250,000 cases last year, up by more than a quarter from 238,600 cases in 2011 and 76 percent higher than 2010 sales. The mostly $10- to $20-a-bottle wine brands include Leese-Fitch, MooBuzz, Pennywise and The White Knight. The company ventured into spirits in 2011 and now has rum and gin in the $30 range and $70 rye whiskey called Masterson’s.

Kim Wallace became president of the 100,000-case-a-year winery in 2012. Her husband, Don, had been president since 2006 on the retirement of her father, David Stare, founder of the first new winery in Dry Creek Valley since Prohibition. The ranch includes 200 estate acres of vines.

Mrs. Wallace started her career in the fashion industry and returned to the family winery in 1986 as director of marketing. She is credited with influencing the nautical theme to winery branding. Rhonda and Don CaranoFerrari-Carano Winery8761 Dry Creek Rd., Healdsburg 95448, 707-433-6700, ferrari-carano.com

Corporate and gaming attorney Don Carano, and Vice President Rhonda Carano, his wife, started Ferrari-Carano in Dry Creek Valley in 1981 and released the first vintage in 1985. The family owns 1,400 acres of vines in 19 vineyards in Sonoma and Napa counties. Production is estimated to be around 200,000 cases for the Ferrari-Carano, PreVail, Tresor and Siena brands.

The Caranos also own Vintners Inn and John Ash & Co. restaurant in Russian River Valley. Mr. Carano built Eldorado Hotel and Casino in Reno in 1973 and jointly created Silver Legacy hotel and casino there in 1992.Bill Foley IIFoley Family Wines10300 Chalk Hill Rd., Healdsburg 95448, 707-657-4837, foleyfamilywines.com

Bill Foley II, chairman of Florida-based Fidelity National Financial and Fidelity National Information Services, formed what is now Foley Family Wines in 1996 with the acquisition of Lincourt Vineyards on the Central Coast.

He has been expanding his wine industry holdings on the West Coast and New Zealand rapidly since 2007. Acquisition highlights last year were Langtry Estate & Vineyards, a 150,000-case-a-year brand with 400 acres of grapes in Lake County's Guenoc Valley appellation, 206-acrre Ramal East Vineyard in Los Carneros appellation, Lancaster Estate and Roth Estate brands along with the Chalk Hill Road winery and the 6,000-case-a-year Sawyer Cellars winery near Rutherford. Early this year, Mr. Foley started a membership wine, food and travel venture called The Foley Food and Wine Society.

Previous investments include acquisition of Sebastiani Vineyards, a majority stake in Kuleto in Napa Valley, purchase of a New Zealand wine company, purchasing Chalk Hill in Sonoma County and EOS Estate. Global production totaled 1.25 million cases last year, including 800,000 in the U.S.Louis M. FoppianoFoppiano Wine Co.12707 Old Redwood Hwy., Healdsburg 95448, 707-433-7272, foppiano.com

Louis M. Foppiano is chairman of the pioneering pinot noir and petite sirah Russian River Valley winery. He is great-grandson of Giovanni Foppiano, who started in 1896. The winery is supplied by 115 acres of vines and produces roughly 30,000 cases a year.Jonathan FreyFrey Vineyards14000 Tomki Rd., Redwood Valley 95470, 707-485-5177, freywine.com

Jonathan Frey, general manager, was the founding winemaker of the 33-year-old organic and Biodynamic wine specialist in Mendocino County’s Redwood Valley. The winery produces more than 90,000 cases of wine from 185 acres of vines.

Jonathan, Matthew and Paul Frey, the eldest of 12 children, opened the winery in 1980. Jonathan Frey trained younger brother Paul in winemaking, so he could assume the role of general manager.

Mr. Frey also is co-founder of Willits-based Renewable Energy Development Institute.

Matt Gallo, vice president of coastal operations, is part of the third generation of the Gallo winemaking family along with winemaker sister Gina Gallo.

Global production for Modesto-based E&J Gallo, the world’s largest wine company, is estimated to be around 82 million cases. Gallo purchased Washington state brands Columbia Winery and Covey Run from Ascentia Wine Estates.

In addition to her winemaking position, Gina Gallo started Dry Creek General Store and is raising daughters with Jean-Charles Boisset, who she married in 2009.Tom BurnetGloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards23555 Hwy. 121, Sonoma 95476, 707-996-7256, gloriaferrer.com

In November 2009, the Ferrer family appointed Tom Burnet president of Freixenet America, which oversees Freixenet USA, Gloria Ferrer Caves & Vineyards and Victoire Imports. The Ferrer family started the winery in 1982 and built the facility in 1986. Gloria Ferrer produces about 125,000 cases of sparkling and still wines annually from 385 acres of vines.Dennis GrothGroth Vineyards & Winery750 Oakville Cross Rd., Oakville 94562, 707-944-0290, grothwines.com

Accountant and former high-tech executive Dennis and Judy Groth started Groth Vineyards in 1982. Mr. Groth, president, has been involved in sustainable business standards for the industry. The operation has 165 acres of vines in near Oakville and Yountville in Napa Valley and last year shipped 73,000 cases of wine.Timothy PerssonThe Hess Collection4411 Redwood Rd., Napa 94558, 707-255-1144, hesscollection.com

Switzerland-based Hess Group named named Timothy Persson as chief executive officer in July of last year. Gary Bulger, who had been president since 2009, left before that time after 15 years with the winery.

Mr. Persson, a member of the Hess family, is chairman of The Hess Collection board, and a managing director of Hess Family Estates, a global portfolio of brands The Hess Collection, Artezin, MacPhail Family Wines, Sequana, Peter Lehmann, Colome, Amalaya and Glen Carlou.

The winery has more than 750 acres of vines in Napa Valley and Monterey County and sold 700,000 cases in 2012. The winery operates out of the former Christian Brothers Mont La Salle winery and a newer winery and barrel-aging facility in American Canyon. Hess acquired the MacPhail Family Wines brand in 2011.Agustin F. HuneeusHuneeus Vintners, LLC1040 Main St., Napa 94559, 707-967-1601, huneeuswines.com

The father operated Franciscan Estates from the mid-1980s until Constellation Brands acquired the fine wine portfolio, which included Quintessa in Napa Valley and Veramonte in Chile, in 1999. The son was promoted to president of the group in 2000 and stayed until 2003, when he left to start Huneeus Vintners.

After a career in journalism, Joy Sterling joined her parents, winery founders Barry and Audrey Sterling, in marketing the sparkling-wine brand in 1985. That year she landed Iron Horse its first signature placement at a White House state dinner, and exclusive placements for celebrity events followed. She became chief executive officer in 2006.

Chief Executive Officer Judy Jordan launched J in 1987 with help of her father, oilman and vintner Thomas Jordan Jr. She appointed Kathryn Lindstrom general manager and chief financial officer in mid-2006 and promoted her to chief operating officer at the beginning of this year. Previously, Ms. Lindstrom held senior finance and administrative posts at Peter Michel, Arrowood, Robert Mondavi Corp. and Opus One. The winery annually produces more than 80,000 cases of sparkling and still wine.Rick TignerJackson Family Wines425 Aviation Blvd., Santa Rosa 95403, 707-544-4000, kj.com

Rick Tigner has been president of the 5.5 million-case-a-year global wine company since May 2010, and his role has expanded to assist Chairman-proprietor Barbara Banke since founder Jess Jackson died in April 2011. Mr. Tigner has been in the wine industry for more than a quarter century, including two decades in management of Jackson wine divisions and companies plus stints at Miller Brewing, Gallo and Louis M. Martini.

Jackson family wine-related holdings have been expanding rapidly Ms. Banke took the reins in 2011. The company acquired more than a dozen properties, largely vineyard acquisitions such as 350-acre Ramal Vineyard West in Los Carneros, 260-acre Saralee's Vineyard in Russian River Valley and several hundred acres in Oregon. The company now has roughly 35,000 acres of vines supplying three dozen wineries producing 5.5 million cases worldwide.John JordanJordan Vineyard & Winery1474 Alexander Valley Rd., Healdsburg 95448, 707-431-5250, jordanwinery.com

Jordan Oil & Gas Co. owner Thomas Jordan Jr. started the winery in 1972, and the first vintage was in 1976. His son, John, who was born just before the winery was founded 40 years ago, has been the top executive of the chateau-like winery in Sonoma County’s Alexander Valley since fall 2005.

Today, the winery produces about 100,000 cases of wine last year and has 250 acres of vines.

When not running the winery, John Jordan is a partner in Santa Rosa-based law firm Smith Dollar, an instructor at Empire College of Law and founder in 2010 of Santa Rosa-based Labrador OmniMedia, which is developing mobile on-premise alcoholic beverage program management software Tastevin.Bill PhelpsJoseph Phelps Vineyards200 Taplin Rd., St. Helena 94574, 707-963-2745, jpvwines.com

Also celebrating a 40th anniversary this year is Joseph Phelps Vineyards. Bill Phelps, an investment banking attorney for 20 years, moved to Napa Valley in 1998 to help his father, Joseph Phelps, with the acquisition of land on the Sonoma Coast for Freestone Vineyards, which opened in fall 2007. The elder Phelps launched the winery in 1973, and the younger became president in 2008.

The Heck family in 1954 acquired Korbel Champagne Cellars, established in Russian River Valley in 1882. Gary Heck became president in 1982 and chairman in 1984. The Heck Estates portfolio includes still and sparkling wines and brandy, producing 2.2 million cases last year from 1,400 acres of controlled vines.

Brands include Korbel, Kenwood Vineyards, Korbel California Brandy, Valley of the Moon, Lake Sonoma, King’s Ransom and Pininfarina. The company last year said it was in talks to sell the Kenwood brand to New York-based importer Banfi Vintners, but the deal fizzled by mid-2012.Steve LedsonLedson Winery & Vineayards7335 Hwy. 12, Kenwood 95452, 707-537-3810, ledson.com

A real estate developer since the mid-1970s, Steve Ledson entered the wine business in the early 1990s, when a speculative Sonoma Valley vineyard estate project fell through. By the end of the decade, Ledson had established a winery, built the landmark 16,000-square-foot Normandy-style "castle" and converted it to a winery and tasting room.

The winery produces dozens of wines a year, ranging in price from ultrapremium to a couple of hundred dollars a bottle.

In early January, the Ledson family purchased Mountain Terraces Vineyard in the Mayacamas Mountains from the Schaefer family. The 125-acre property has 85 acres of vines.

Another Ledson wine project is W. Cunningham Winery, a proposed 50,000-case facility on Sonoma Highway at Frey Road. Ledson produced 27,000 cases of wine last year at a leased production facility south of Sonoma.Randy and Megan MasonMason Cellars714 First St., Napa 94559, 707-255-0658, masoncellars.com

The Masons, known for their sauvignon blanc, started the 50,000-plus-case-a-year brand in 1993, the same year Randy Mason started Napa Wine Co. in Oakville. He ran it for nine years.Kevin ShannonMountain View Vintners1660 Second St., Ste. B, San Rafael 94901, 414-898-6778, mountainviewwines.com

Kevin Shannon started Mountain View Vintners in 1978 as one of California’s first negociants, or wineries without their own vineyards. The company shipped 104,000 cases in 2012 and has created hundreds of labels for restaurants, hotels, retailers and wine clubs since its founding.John TracyOwl Ridge WinesP.O. Box 1514, Sebastopol 95473, owlridge.com

Retired optics physicist John Tracy acquired the Greg & Greg high-end custom winery in 2005 and Sonoma Grapemasters vine-to-bottle custom wine service in 2007. Of more than 50,000 cases produced in 2012, 20,000 were for Mr. Tracy’s labels Owl Ridge and Willowbrook Cellars. The company last year created a certified-organic blue agave juice "wine" Agave Garden.

Jim Pedroncelli first started with sales and marketing duties in 1957. In 1963 he and brother John Pedroncelli Jr. purchased the winery from their father, who started the Dry Creek Valley winery in 1927. The winery shipped 59,000 cases 2010 from 105 vineyard acres.Ron RubinRiver Road Vineyards & Winery5220 Ross Rd., Sebastopol 95472, 707-887-8130, riverroadvineyards.com

A big believer in the Sonoma County "brand," Tom Klein assumed leadership of the family agribusiness in 1984, and in 1989 Klein Foods acquired Rodney Strong Vineyards, started in 1959 by its namesake. In recent years, the company has upgraded winery energy-efficiency and high-end production, shifted to Sonoma County grapes and acquired the Davis Bynum brand in 2007. The company sold 889,000 cases in 2012 and owns 965 acres of vines.Christopher SilvaSt. Francis Winery & Vineyards500 Pythian Rd., Santa Rosa 95409, 800-543-7713, stfranciswine.com

Joe Martin and Lloyd Canton started St. Francis in 1979 and appointed Christopher Silva president and chief executive officer in 2003. He was chief operating officer for four years before. The winery produced 250,000 cases in 2012 and owns 600 acres of vines.Emma SwainSt. Supery Vineyards & Winery8440 St. Helena Hwy., Rutherford 94573, 707-963-4507, stsupery.com

Skalli Family Wines Americas, which started the winery in 1988, named Emma Swain chief executive officer in 2009. Previously, she oversaw Sebastiani Vineyards from 2001 until Foley Family Wines acquired it in 2009 and was credited with turning around the brand. St. Supery produced 136,000 cases in 2012 and owns 525 acres of vines.

Tom Davies has been president and managing partner of Dario Sattui’s wine interests since 1980. Mr. Sattui revived the 1885 brand V. Sattui Winery in the late 1970s. V. Sattui produces nearly four dozen wines, and nearby landmark Castello di Amorosa makes more than a dozen. Production was more than 50,000 cases in 2012 from 230 vineyard acres, and it’s sold mostly via the tasting room and Internet.Hugh DaviesSchramsberg Vineyards1400 Schramsberg Rd., Calistoga 94515, 707-942-6668, schramsberg.com

Hugh Davies, son of founders Jack and Jamie Davies, has been president and chief executive officer of sparkling wine house Schramsberg Vineyards since 2005. The winery annually produces more than 60,000 cases of sparkling wine and a few thousand cases of J. Schram and Schramsberg Reserve still wines.Axel SchugSchug Carneros Estate Winery602 Bonneau Rd., Sonoma 95476, 800-966-9365, schugwinery.com

Axel Schug joined the winery full time in 1990 became managing partner in 2007 upon the retirement of his father, Walter Schug, who started the winery in 1980. The winery produced 50,000 cases in 2012 and farms 42 vine acres.David DuncanSilver Oak CellarsP.O. Box 414, Oakville 94562, 707-944-8808, silveroak.com

President and Chief Executive Officer David Duncan oversees high-end cabernet sauvignon producer Silver Oak Cellars, started by his father, Ray, and Justin Meyer in 1972. The Duncans started Twomey Cellars in Calistoga in 1999 and acquired Monument Tree Vineyard in Sonoma County for Twomey.

Derek Benham started Purple Wine Co. in 2001, when his brother, Courtney, and he sold the Blackstone brand to Constellation Brands reportedly for $144 million. Derek Benham built Purple Wine up with largely with the Mark West pinot noir, plus the Avalon, BEX, Blue Jean and Rock Rabbit brands, joined by Four Vines in late 2011.

When Mark West reached 600,000 cases a year, or more than half of Purple Wine's production, Mr. Benham sold it to Constellation a year ago for $163 million.

Sister company Sonoma Wine Co., which produces the Purple Wine brands, has seven North Coast facilities and makes more than 2 million cases of wine a year for about three dozen clients.

One of Swanson brothers whose family food company developed the TV dinner in the early 1950s, Clarke Swanson purchased 100 acres near Oakville in Napa Valley in 1985 and was an early champion of merlot wine. Later, the brand moved into small-production, high-end white and red wines as well as the on-premise-focused Modern House Wine brand. The winery produces 20,000 to 30,000 cases a year from 77 acres of vines.Mike Tierney and Mike MartiniTaft Street Winery2030 Barlow Ln., Sebastopol 95472, 707-823-2049, taftstreetwinery.com

President Mike Tierney and General Manager-Chief Executive Officer Mike Martini, at one time mayor of Santa Rosa, started the winery with family members in 1982 in an Oakland garage in the 1970s. The winery makes more than 40,000 cases a year.Janet TrefethenTrefethen Vineyards1160 Oak Knoll Ave., Napa 94558, 707-255-7700, trefethen.com

John Trefethen’s parents purchased an abandoned winery in 1968. His wife, Janet, became chief executive officer in the 1970s shortly after the first wines were released. The winery has been a leader in sustainable winegrowing in the North Coast. Trefethen produces more than 5o,000 cases annually.Bob TorkelsonTrinchero Family EstatesP.O. Box 248, St. Helena 94574; 707-963-3104; tfewines.com

Since 2004, Bob Torkelson has been president and chief operating officer of Trinchero Family Estates. It is one of the largest U.S. wine companies, selling 18 million cases in 2012. That's up from 16.5 million cases in 2011. The company expanded its vineyard holdings to about 8,000 acres, including 60 acres of vines acquired last year in Russian River Valley.

The Trinchero family purchased Sutter Home Winery in 1948. The portfolio has expanded beyond that brand to roughly three dozen others either made for retailers and celebrities or imported. In the past two years, the company has added spirits brands.Pat RoneyVintage Wine Estates205 Concourse Blvd., Santa Rosa 95403, 707-921-2600, vintagewineestates.com

Vintage Wine Estates was formed in January 2009 by Pat Roney, Leslie Rudd, Michael Stewart and Chuck Sweeney. Since then, Mr. Roney, president and a veteran of top-executive wine and retail positions, has guided several North Coast acquisitions. The group sold 600,000 cases of wine globally in 2012.

The portfolio includes Girard, Grove Street, Sonoma Coast Vineyards, Fire Station Red, Windsor Sonoma, Windsor Vineyards, StoneFly Vineyards, Cosentino Winery and Cartilidge & Browne. Last year, In July, the company acquired the 350,000-case-a-year former McDowell winery near Hopland and plans to eventually transition the bulk of production there. In December, Vintage Wine Estates co-invested with brand hitmaker Deutsch Family Wine & Spirits to bring back Cosentino's Cigar Zin brand.

Businessman Tom Leonardini Sr. purchased Whitehall Lane Winery in March 1993 from the Finkelstein family of Judd’s Hill and Napa Valley MicroCrush. In 2011, Whitehall Lane announced plans to double production over the following four years from 50,000 cases annually. Toward that goal and self-sufficiency, the winery expanded its barrel cellar, added casegood storage for club shipments and installed a bottling line.Ken and Diana WilsonWilson Artisan Wineries8015 Hwy. 128, Healdsburg 95448, 707-433-3303, sodarockwinery.com/wilson-artisan-wineries

Ken and Diane Wilson have been building a group of North Coast wineries, called Wilson Artisan Wineries. Mrs. Wilson is an avid runner and makes wine for three of the brands. The portfolio now includes Wilson Winery, Mazzocco Sonoma, Matrix Winery, deLorimier Winery, Jaxon Keys Winery, Soda Rock Winery, Pezzi King Vineyards and St. Anne's Crossing.

St. Anne's came from the acquisition of the former St. Francis and Blackstone winery in Sonoma Valley in 2012 from Constellation Brands. Before the Blackstone deal, total case production exceeded 50,000 cases a year, and the family owned 500 acres of mountain vineyards in Sonoma and Mendocino counties.